Deck Remodeling

A deck or porch provides you with many opportunities. It can give you the feeling of making your home bigger and expanding your living space. It also allows you to have a desirable outdoor area to relax, entertain and to be close to nature. It’s important to have a deck remodeling contractor who can help guide you through this exciting adventure and to create a beautiful dining and entertaining space where you and your family will love spending time

Planning for a Deck

The most important part of a deck or porch renovation process is planning the layout. If you already have a deck in place, do you plan to keep your deck the same footprint or expand? Before the process can begin, you must be able to envision what the deck will look like at the end of the project. This can be overwhelming at times. That is why CORE Remodeling Services will be with you every step of the way. Our design team will help you to design a deck that will be your own private retreat that you won’t want to leave.

Creating the Deck or Porch You Want

Create a wish list and then prioritize your wish list is an important step.

Create a wish list: Write down all of your wishes no matter if it’s a dream or a must have.

Examples:

Multi-level deck, gazebo or pergola.
Type of deck material: composite, pressure treated or exotic hardwood?
Type of railings: wood, cable, metal or composite.
Outdoor kitchen and or bar area for entertaining.
Extra Features: built in benches and or built in benches with storage.
Add electrical for a TV or sound system.

Prioritize your wish list: Knowing what is important may help you save money on your remodel. What are the essentials? What is nice, but optional? Here are some things to consider:

How long do you plan on staying in your home?
How much maintenance are you willing to do, such as painting and staining?
Do you like the current layout of your deck or porch ?
Where does the deck the most sunshine and where is it shaded?
What are you family’s needs and lifestyle around the deck?
Do you entertain a lot?
Do you want a lot of privacy, if so this may change the layout.
Think of future needs or uses for your deck, should you screen it in or enclose it.
Will young children be on the deck a lot?

There is an important thing to keep in mind when renovating an existing deck or porch. The footings have to meet today’s requirements. If they don’t meet those requirements they will need to be replaced and this will add additional costs. Also, choosing your decks material based on your lifestyle is important. People choose different material for different reasons. Below I have listed the three main material types and reason why people may choose them.

Types of Material

Composite

If your framing and foundation systems are in good shape, you can opt for simply replacing your old deck boards with composite decking. Some composite decking is made of a combination of wood fibers and recycled plastic and some are just recycled plastic, also known as PVC . Some people refer to composite materials as “Azek”, Trex and Timbertech, which are just a few of of the well known manufacturers of composite materials. It is dense, heavy, and resists both stains and the decay from weather. Composite decks keep their new look longer than regular deck board depending on the final product choice. They can, in many cases, eliminate drilling, nail heads, and almost all upkeep. In addition, they are more environmentally friendly, and last longer than natural options.

Pressure Treated

This material is probably the best selling option on the market. In fact, essentially almost every deck’s structure (posts, beams, joists) is made from pressure treated wood, regardless of what the decking material is. It is usually cut from southern yellow pine and treated against decay, fungus, and wood eating insects. Pressure treated wood can last for decades when properly maintained. The main drawback to pressure treated wood is that it needs regular maintenance and has a tendency to swell, crack, split and warp because it’s made of pine.

Exotic Hardwood

Exotic hardwood decking can be extremely long lasting and resistant to insects and other natural sources of deterioration. However, they do come with more maintenance requirements than other types of decking materials. Exotic hardwood examples are Mahogany, IPE, Brazilian Walnut, Tigerwood, Garapa and Massaranduba decking. There are more deep browns in color with hints of red and amber. They add a truly luxurious and high end feel and look to your deck.

Please keep in mind in what manner and how much you use your deck will impact not only the layout but the material selection, electrical, plumbing and final cost of your project. We at CORE Remodeling understand how overwhelming all of this can be, so we have a great process to help design your deck or porch and guide you through the process, from start to finish.